7 replies to this topic

[93nav]

I know it is very hard to compare cars, especially two different models, but all things being equal, does anyone have a feel for the cost of maintenance of a 968 vs a 911? 968 and 911 (964) would be same model year. Do you guys here even allow mentions of 911?

Thanks

Edited by 93nav, 15 June 2013 - 02:13 PM.

[Inkedupfatboy]

OMG he said 911!
Lol

No worries lots of open discussion here and I am sure you will get a great answer as I am sure many of the guys here have owned 911's.

Good luck!

[craigawoodman]

93Nav,

Given how long the 911 has been in production, you might have to be a bit more specific as to the model series you want to compare.

I have seen my fair share of 911 engines out of cars being rebuilt (over revving and punching valves seems to be an issue with early cars, 915 gearbox rebuilds, early magnesium cases warping, etc), all without getting into the dreaded engine failures on 996 and 997 engines (plus Boxster and Cayman) up to 2008. Turbos and GT3s are pretty reliable, so it all depends what car and model you want to talk about.

[93nav]

Craig,

I was thinking of 911/964, so comparable model years as the 968.

Edited by 93nav, 15 June 2013 - 02:15 PM.

[ds968]

Whatever it's worth, my mechanic who has worked on countless Porsches ( alongside BMWs, MBZs , Audis and VWs ) for more than 30 years now, claims 911s , in general, are the most reliable / maintenance-free vehicles of all those cars - very surprising to me since I thought MBZs or VWs would take that honor. Other than oil leaks which seem to plague the 911 models they apparently have very few problems. Then again, the 968 holds its own fairly well..

[JWahlsten]

The 964 911 was a pretty large departure from the early 911s. While it looked very similar it had coilover suspension, abs, the G50 trans, a 3.6 liter engine, available all wheel drive, and other electronic updates. The car was actually closer to the 993 than the 911 in everything but appearance.

I think you'll find the car to be reliable if you don't get the AWD system. That's not to say the AWD cars aren't reliable, but it's REALLY expensive to fix if it does go bad. Additionally, the engines in the earlier cars didn't have head gaskets and had a tendency to leak combustion at the cylinders. This was fixed in the later cars, but do a search and you'll find horror stories about the early 3.6 liter 964s.

The 911SC and Carrera from 78-89 are where the 911 gained the rep for being bullet proof. The 3.0 SC engine was unreal, and with the exception of the valve guides the 3.2 Carrera is nearly as reliable.

One of my favorite Porsches and cars of all time is the 965 or 964 turbo, but those things are now skyrocketing in value making a reasonable purchase nearly impossible.

I can say all of my 944 variants have been very reliable. You do have to do the belts regularly, and for track cars watch the rod bearings. The 968 pinion gear is a manufacturing flaw with these cars, but if it's already fixed you should be good to go...

I'd like one of each. Unlike Flash, I am not a hater. I really liked my 84 911.

[Rob in Oz]

Having done the route 944-951-964-968 in that order in my Porsche owning experience, I feel fairly qualified to give an opinion. I do all my own maintenance and repairs with the exception of wheel alignment and panel work/painting and owned a 964 for 5 years prior to selling it and buying a 968 last September. Being cars of the same era, the non-engine mechanicals of both cars are very similar, with items like the HVAC controls being common to both. Strut front and semi-trailing arm rear suspension are very similar, as are the concepts of transaxle gearbox/final drive assemblies. The main difference in maintenance is in the engine and ancillaries. The thing I found most concerning about the 964 (and any air-cooled 911 for that matter) is the multitude of pipes and hoses carrying oil around the engine bay and forward to the oil cooler and back again. In a 20 year old car, these hoses present a significant risk of failure and should be replaced for peace of mind. Working on the 964 engine is more difficult than the 944/968 engines because of engine location and accessibility, and also because the 964 requires manual valve clearance adjustment every 12,000miles/20,000km vs hydraulic tappets on a 968. I believe that, all things being equal, you'll spend more $$ on routine maintenance on a 964 than on a 968. But - these are 20 year old cars and ultimately the costs you incur will be related to condition condition condition...

Both great cars, the 964 being a more raw experience than the 968.

Rob

[93nav]

Thanks for the replies.